The Sea-Ringed World - by Maria Garcia Esperon

About the Book

"Fifteen thousand years before Europeans stepped foot in the Americas, people had already spread from tip to tip and coast to coast. Like all humans, these Native Americans sought to understand their place in the universe, the nature of their relationship with the divine, and the origin of the world into which their ancestors had emerged. The answers lay in their sacred stories. Author Maíra Garíca Espeórn, illustrator Amanda Mijangos, and translator David Bowles have gifted us a treasure. Their talents have woven this collection of stories from nations and cultures across our two continents--the Sea-Ringed World, as the Aztecs called it--from the edge of Argentina all the way up to Alaska. The Em Querido list seeks to introduce the finest books in translation from around the world to an American audience. We feel lucky to be bringing you this book on our inaugural list, which we hope will be a true window and mirror. "--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Batchelder Award Honor Book
School Library Journal Best of the Year
Kirkus Best of the Year
Booklist Editors' Choice
Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
ABC Group Best Books for Young Readers

"Hypnotizing...Provocative...Disarming"--The New York Times

"Evocative and stirring...mesmerizing to read aloud."--The Wall Street Journal

★ "Visually striking...full of vivid language."--Publishers Weekly (starred)

★ A rich anthology to understand and delight in Native traditions."--Booklist (starred)

★ "Begs to be read aloud."--Kirkus (starred)

★ "Impressive, handsome, and universally appealing."--Horn Book (starred)

★ "Breathtaking and simply beautiful."--School Library Journal (starred)

★ "The language sparkles and the tales beg to be read aloud."--School Library Connection (starred)

"Visually arresting, captivating collection of traditional stories."--Shelf-Awareness

"David Bowles' graceful translation renders this volume an excellent addition to any storytelling collection."--BCCB

"One-of-a-kind...A collection that will appeal to children, but also to any lover and collector of books."--BookRiot

A collection of stories from nations and cultures across our two continents--the Sea-Ringed World, as the Aztecs called it--from the Andes all the way up to Alaska.

Fifteen thousand years before Europeans stepped foot in the Americas, people had already spread from tip to tip and coast to coast. Like all humans, these Native Americans sought to understand their place in the universe, the nature of their relationship with the divine, and the origin of the world into which their ancestors had emerged. The answers lay in their sacred stories.

Review Quotes

"In this Mexican import, Esperón retells sacred stories from 18 Native cultures. Complemented by stylized artwork that combines Native motifs with looser, modern lines, the short stories reflect a wonder and understanding of the natural world and the human spirit."" - Booklist

"David Bowles' graceful translation renders this volume an excellent addition to any storytelling collection." -The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,


"Evocative and stirring...mesmerizing to read aloud."-The Wall Street Journal,


"Hypnotizing...Provocative...Disarming" -New York Times,


"Visually arresting, captivating collection of traditional stories." -Shelf-Awareness,


"With its one-of-a-kind art to accompany each tale, it is a collection that will appeal to children, but also to any lover and collector of books." -BookRiot,


[STAR] "A rich anthology to understand and delight in Native traditions." -Booklist (starred),


[STAR] "Breathtaking and simply beautiful." -School Library Journal (starred),


[STAR] "Impressive, handsome, and universally appealing." -Horn Book (starred),


[STAR] "Spellbinding....Begs to be read aloud." -Kirkus (starred),


[STAR] "The language sparkles and the tales beg to be read aloud." -School Library Connection (starred),


[STAR] "Visually striking...full of vivid language." -Publishers Weekly (starred),

About the Author

María García Esperón was born in Mexico City and has won many awards including the Hispanic American Poetry Award for Children. Her novel Dido for Aeneas was selected in 2016 on the IBBY Honour List.

Amanda Mijangos was born in Mexico City and is the founder of the illustration studio Cuarto para las 3. Her work has been recognized with awards several times and in 2017 she was the winner of the VIII Iberoamerica Illustra Catalog.

David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from South Texas. Among his multiple award-winning books are Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico, and They Call Me Güero. In 2017, David was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.